Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Events at Arcana (3)
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Psyker Reform Facility, commonly known as the juvenile hall.
A special educational institution under the Academy City General Committee, established in accordance with the "Act on the Treatment of Psykers Who Have Not Completed Compulsory Education, Etc."
In simple terms, it's a prison in Academy City where Psyker criminals are detained, rehabilitated, and incarcerated.
Located on the outskirts of Academy City alongside regular prisons, it houses all Psyker criminals, who make up about 0.5% of the city's population.
There was one particularly unique inmate in this juvenile hall.
Just one person who wasn't even a Psyker, yet was imprisoned there. His name was Antonio del Piero, one of the oddities known as "Goat" in the 21st Century Secret Society.
The moment he was captured by the Federal Guidance Bureau, he spilled everything he knew, claiming he'd been forced into it by orders from above and had no choice.
Of course, this was also following the guidelines in the 21st Century Secret Society's code of conduct.
"If captured by government agencies or Hunters, never resist and cooperate fully."
The 21st Century Secret Society's policy was that they shouldn't openly expose the existence of oddities, but there was no need to hide it desperately either.
Since oddities weren't omnipotent, mistakes were bound to happen somewhere along the line. The society focused on how to "cover up" those mistakes.
For an organization that already had a considerable number of human collaborators, it was easy enough to quietly extract captured oddities using their high-placed allies in society.
Goat knew this too and had been eagerly awaiting the day he'd be released from the juvenile hall.
But unfortunately for Goat, there was me—an obstacle in his path.
"No, fuck, Dracula-hyung. Even so, this is too much... How do you even think to use me while I'm locked up in prison?"
"So you're saying you won't do it... Goat-hyung. This isn't a request—I'm telling you nicely."
I revealed my hypnotic eyes. Goat responded with a servile grin.
"Even if it's too much, I'll do my best..."
Before starting my temporary classes at Arcana, I'd visited the juvenile hall where Goat was imprisoned.
Having gotten prior permission from the Academy City's Student Guidance Chief, meeting him wasn't difficult.
Goat, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffed, groveled before me as I gave him his orders.
"There are inmates with fist-shaped tattoos on their shoulders. Report to me immediately if they act suspicious."
"No phone or computer—how am I supposed to report?"
I dangled the thin smartphone I'd smuggled in using illusions right in front of his eyes.
Goat's eyes widened hugely. I slipped the phone through a crack in the floor.
"Don't get caught like an idiot, Goat-hyung."
Goat glanced around furtively, then nodded slightly.
He opened his mouth grotesquely wide and swallowed the smartphone whole.
Then he looked up at me with sparkling, eager eyes.
It was the happiest expression I'd ever seen on Goat's face.
"Alright, I'm off. Let's meet next time in a brighter place, Goat-hyung."
"Sure thing, Dracula-hyung. But I've got one question. Why keep tabs on those fist-tattoo guys all of a sudden?"
The reason I'd gone to the trouble of bothering Goat and even handing him a smartphone to monitor them was simple.
To sum up Chapter 2, the Irregulars arc: Maladjusted individuals who joined Irregulars cause chaos in Academy City.
Irregulars was a criminal organization centered around Arcana cadets Kang Chang-su and Akeboshi Ichika, made up of Psykers harboring grudges against Academy City.
The number of Psykers in Irregulars was around 500—not a small force by any means.
The 21st Century Secret Society had their eyes on Irregulars and planned to entice their leader, Kang Chang-su, into breaking out the Psyker criminals from the juvenile hall to sow chaos.
Then, while attention was diverted, they'd create an "artificial rift" crucial for Chapter 3, the "Academy City Assault" arc... That was the gist of the Irregulars arc.
Though I'd twisted the original story's flow so far, as long as the society's goal of "humanity reduction" remained unchanged, provoking Irregulars was something they'd definitely do.
It was still a watch-and-wait phase, but preparing in advance couldn't hurt.
I figured it was safe to tell Goat some of it.
Thanks to the soul contract, he was forcibly on friendly terms with me anyway.
"The fist-tattoo guys belong to an organization called Irregulars. The society plans to use them to bring down this juvenile hall."
When I said I was preparing countermeasures, Goat's eyes went wide.
"Hyung, how the hell does a low-rank like you get intel like that?"
"I've got my ways."
Like a mother-in-law's secret recipe even the daughter-in-law doesn't know.
And so, I ordered Goat to monitor the juvenile hall. Time passed, and finally yesterday, Goat came through.
📱 Message from Goat Dracula-hyung, these bastards are gathering explosion ability users inside the prison. Overheard some talk—they're plotting a breakout. Mimir seemed to have decided to use Irregulars, just like Aria did in the original story.
I relayed all the intel I'd gathered so far to Yubyeol-ha.
The fact that Kang Chang-su and Ichika were Irregulars, and what the society planned to do with them in Academy City.
"The society plans to use Irregulars to draw attention and trigger an artificial rift. If we fail to stop it..."
"An artificial rift won't cause an immediate wave, but Academy City itself might collapse."
Yubyeol-ha propped her chin on her hand, her expression grave.
There were about 2,300 rifts around the world.
Around each rift spewing Dimensional Beasts, a 10km radius was designated a Hunter/military protection zone, and 80km was a civilian no-entry zone.
Millions of Dimensional Beasts pouring from a single rift. Academy City, which was only half the size of Seoul, would naturally lose all function.
That's how Daejeon in South Korea vanished.
"The rifts themselves are bad enough, but Irregulars are a problem too. If they team up with the criminals in the juvenile hall, their numbers swell, and the society will go all out. Anyway, this'll be on a whole different scale from the last Experimental Awake incident. Brace yourself."
I slowly stood from my seat.
Glancing at Yubyeol-ha, she was still lost in thought.
She was the one who'd shine brightest in this arc.
In the end, in the original story, Kang Chang-su and Ichika's rampage was stopped by Yubyeol-ha, a fellow Arcana cadet.
Though Kim Si-hu supported her from the side, it was Yubyeol-ha's Death's Scythe that finished off the two who'd overdosed on Experimental Awake and turned into Dimensional Beasts.
The original story ended tragically, but...
"It's fine."
In the war against the society, we needed as many variables as possible.
My twists might seem like minor changes, but just like the butterfly effect existed in this world too—
Tiny changes, small differences, trivial events leading to unforeseen massive results or repercussions.
"All our efforts so far won't betray us."
I am a disruptor. The words I'd just spoken were for Yubyeol-ha, but they applied to me too.
I would never let this story end like the original.
"You sure talk a good game..."
I took in Yubyeol-ha's faint smile as I left the classroom.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ About a week into my temporary student life at Arcana.
Today, too, after finishing Arcana's grueling classes, I was sprawled out in the classroom, utterly drained.
"Good work today, Baek Do-hyun."
Kang Chang-su approached, handing me a cold bottle of water.
It was 5 p.m. now—after school.
I was the only one left in the classroom. Yubyeol-ha had headed to the annex for training.
Kang Chang-su, who usually grabbed his bag and vanished with Ichika right away, sticking around until now was unexpected.
"You too. Thanks."
I took the water he offered and drank.
The cold liquid sliding down my throat gradually revived my fatigued mind.
He sat in the seat next to mine. His bulky, muscular frame next to me felt intimidating.
"Something you wanna say?"
He wasn't just here to grab something—plopping down right beside me meant he had important business.
Kang Chang-su glanced at the blackboard.
"Do-hyun, I've got a question."
"Shoot."
"Are you one of those 'oddities' monsters too?"
I sat there frozen, blinking.
What was his angle in asking me that?
Had he gotten info on me from the society during contact?
No way. They had no interest in a low-rank like me to begin with.
Unless Mimir went blabbing to the oddities that I was a traitor, they probably didn't even know I'd become a temporary student at Arcana.
It was just that Kang Chang-su had sharp instincts.
"Can I ask you one thing?"
I quietly met his burning gaze.
His eyes were filled with hatred.
Not toward the oddities trying to destroy the world, but toward Academy City itself, probably.
I slowly nodded, signaling he could ask whatever he wanted.